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The Difference Between A Toyota Camry And A Toyota Solara

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Between 1998 and 2009 Toyota had two models of its best selling car the Camry. There was the standard Toyota Camry and the Toyota Camry Solara, also known as the Toyota Solara.

While these two cars share similar features, there were also several notable differences. This article will cover the history of the Solara and how it is different from the Toyota Camry. Here is what you need to know.

Toyota Solara Beginnings

Toyota began manufacturing the Toyota Solara in 1998 as a two-door, sportier version of the Camry. The Toyota Solara was a replacement for the Toyota Camry Coupe. Toyota created the Toyota Camry Coupe four years earlier, to provide a sportier option for people considering buying a Camry. Its main competition was the Honda Accord Coupe, a mid-sized car with sporty features.

As a replacement for the Camry Coupe the Solara featured a four cylinder engine with slightly more power than a standard Camry engine. The model also featured an upgraded stereo as well as sport options. A few years after introduction, Toyota added a Solara convertible to its lineup of mid-sized cars.

Toyota Solara Performance

As noted earlier the Toyota Solara had slightly more power than the Camry. Toyota also offered a V-6 option in 2002 for better performance. In terms of gas mileage a typical Solara got between 19-23 miles per gallon for city driving and 26-33 miles per gallon for highway driving.

By comparison, the latest Toyota Camry gets similar gas mileage. It gets 22 miles per gallon for city driving and 33 miles per gallon for highway driving.

Toyota Solara Exterior

The most notable difference between the Solara and the Camry was the exterior. The Solara was a two door car whereas the Camry was a four door car. The Solara also featured more sportier trim options. The Solara also had a more streamlined look to its exterior.

As mentioned before the Solara also had a convertible option. The convertibles typically had V-6 engines in them.

Additional Features

With the Toyota Solara you could also get some additional features. Options included sport suspension and performance tires, leather upholstery as well as a six-disc CD changer. You could also get 16-inch aluminum wheels.

Later models of the Solara, featured Bluetooth connectivity, satellite radio, navigation systems and MP3 support.

Toyota Solara Discontinued

Despite its unique style, Toyota decided to discontinue the Solara from its Camry lineup in 2009. This was due to dropping sales over the years. There was not much demand for sportier mid-sized cars with convertible options.

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Source by Tom Blackman

RAV4 Drivers Club Guide To The Toyota RAV4 Run-Flat (BSR) Tyre System

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This guide is written to hopefully explain the BSR run flat system fitted to the Toyota Rav4 T180 and SR180

Many owners have bought their cars without knowledge of this BSR system so here I will try to explain what it is and the options for replacing it..

What is the BSR system?

It’s a Run flat system that is different from other types where the sidewall of the tyres used is heavily reinforced so if a puncture or deflation occurs the car effectively rides on the sidewall

BSR (Bridgestone Safety Ring) is a system that employs a ring that is fitted inside the tyre around the rim. This is what the car rides on in the event of a deflation. The tyres are effectively a normal tyre. This is a development of a WW2 military vehicle.

There is also a lubricant inside the tyre that lubes the tyre and the BSR ring in the event of a deflation. Without this the friction generated would destroy both elements.

System is backed up by a TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) that illuminates a warning light on the dash if a deflation takes place…

The pluses to this system..

It means that no spare wheel needs to be carried.. And… Err well that’s about it really..

The minuses..

The tyres have to be removed by a special and very expensive machine that only Toyota Dealers and a few independent Tyre Dealers have.

Only one type of Bridgestone tyre can be used with the BSR system. No other make or model of tyre can be used.

This makes for expensive replacements come time for new tyres and can prove very inconvenient in the event of a puncture.

Owners report very expensive costs for replacement or repair!

The options…

Well Owners can simply live with what they have and put up with the what is considered huge costs of replacement or repair.

Or

Remove the existing tyres and the BSR system completely. You can have the tyres removed by an Equipped Dealer as described above. Cost around £45 per wheel OR simply cut the tyres of and remove the safety inner rings with the aid of an angle grinder.

The TPMS system can be retained or removed and switched to prevent the light flashing on the dash..

Once tyres and rings have been removed normal tyres can be fitted on a normal tyre machine by any Tyre Dealer and any brand can be used.

Insurance implications…

You should notify your insurance company if you remove the BSR system and fit normal tyres.

No extra premium is likely as the car will be as the latest specification SR Rav4. IE no BSR system and a tyre repair kit in the boot.

It is possible to have the tyres and the BSR ring removed then refits the tyres but this will invalidate your insurance because the tyres have a symbol on the tyre wall which designates them as Run flats. Which of course without the BSR rings inside they are not! This could mean that a Driver who does not realise this could run into problems if a deflation occurs and he or she carries on driving…

Ride Quality

The wheels with the extra weight of the BSR system and lubricating gel is huge in comparison to a wheel fitted with a normal tyre.

The suspension has two elements to contend with:

The sprung weight. This is the weight of the Vehicle, Its occupants, Cargo etc.

The unsprung weight. This is the weight of the Wheels, Tyres, Brakes etc.

Relieving the suspension of the unsprung weight enables it to get on with the job of controlling the sprung weight. This adds up to a far far smoother ride without the crashing and thumping that the increased weight of the BSR equipped wheels give. Remember the tyre walls are Not reinforced..

The ride quality is MASSIVELY IMPROVED when the BSR is removed!!!

A consideration…

If trading in a BSR equipped RAV to a Toyota Dealer one of the first questions asked will be does it still have the run flats?? Because if it does not the car has in their eyes been radically altered and cannot be sold under the Toyota approved car scheme.

Other dealers may or may not ask depending if they know about the existence of the system in the first place…

Hope this helps

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Source by David LL

The Deadly Secret That Lurks in the Early Toyota Motor Homes

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To most people a Toyota motor home built in the 1980s looks like a cute and charming recreational vehicle. And for the most part this is exactly what they are. But there was a fatal flaw built into these early 1980 motor homes was that caused heartbreak and disaster for hundreds of people.

As the motor home size was expanded past 18 feet, the original Toyota pickup chassis which was only rated at 1/2 ton capacity, was simply not up to the job. Specifically the rear axle began to fail. When this happened bad things occurred to good people.

Completely empty, these little campers have a marginal carrying capacity for people and possessions. This meant that the typical motor home left the driveway in probably an overloaded condition. This was normally not a problem because the performance of the camper insured that slow speeds would be maintained on the trip. The hundred horsepower four-cylinder engine would not move three tuns of house in a very fast pace.

As the size of the camper increased it wasn’t long until the rear axles began to fail. The camper manufacturers compensated by adding a second set of wheels on the axle. This created a dual set of tires on each side. However this did not correct the problem. The problem lie in the fact that the bearings and the axle itself were just not heavy-duty enough to carry the load.

Excessive load caused the bearings to overheat, fail, and then disintegrate with disastrous consequences. Victims of this problem reported that the wheels would actually leave the truck. This was such a serious problem that the national highway safety administration became involved and issued a recall of certain Toyota motor home models.

There was no way to predict when the axle would fail. Some units failed almost immediately, some units went thousands and thousands of miles, and some units have not failed yet. However any Toyota motor home without the heavy-duty axle should be considered as a suspect vehicle.

There is an easy way to tell if your Toyota RV has a safe axle. First of all, all models of Toyota RV built after 1987 were built with the upgraded safe axle. All models of Toyota motor home built in 1984 and before are required to have the upgraded axle due to the safety recall. In 1985 and 1986 some models were built with the upgraded safe axle and some were not. So it is up to you to be careful when inspecting the axle on any Toyota motor home you are considering to buy.

A simple inspection of the axle itself will tell you if it is safe or needs to be replaced. The safe axle will have six lug nuts, the unsafe axles were built with five lug nuts. The safe axle will also have a protruding center hub that has a ring of nuts around the outer edge.

If the axles on the Toyota motor home you are considering only have five lug nuts and the center does not stick out and have a ring of bolts on the center hub, keep looking for another camper to purchase.

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Source by Lee S Mcpherron